The Women by Kristin Hannah is a phenomenal historical fiction novel that tells the story of one woman’s experience as an Army nurse during the Vietnam War and her struggles to overcome PTSD and an unwelcoming nation upon her return home. Kristin Hannah does a much-needed service to all women Vietnam veterans by sharing their unique war experiences in such a raw and ultimately hopeful way.

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Let’s begin with a quick summary of The Women:

Frances “Frankie” McGrath is a twenty-year-old nursing student when her beloved brother, Finley, heads to Vietnam. Frankie has lived a sheltered life on idyllic Coronado Island, the daughter of conservative, country club parents, so it comes as a great shock when she signs up for a tour in Vietnam as part of the Army Nurse Corps. Her family has taught her that there’s honor in serving your country during wartime, and she wants to uphold that value as well as be closer to her brother.

When she reaches Vietnam, Frankie quickly realizes that nursing school and abbreviated Army training have not prepared her for nursing in a combat zone. She’s shocked by what she faces – young men just out of high school with their limbs ripped off or their guts hanging out. Initially, she’s limited to holding men’s hands as they are dying, but eventually becomes a skilled trauma nurse.

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She shares living space with two other nurses – Ethel and Barb – who become lifelong friends. Together with a supportive team of fellow medical staff and other soldiers and sailors, they form a solid support network that helps them all get through even the toughest days. Frankie is proud of her service and the work she’s done during the war.

Things begin to unravel the moment she returns to the states. At the airport, she’s met with taunts of “baby killer” and is spat upon several times. When she reaches her parents’ house, they give her a lukewarm greeting and she soon finds out that they told people she was studying abroad to explain Frankie’s absence. When your nation and your parents are ashamed of you, it’s difficult not to become ashamed of yourself.

Frankie is plagued by nightmares when she’s asleep and prone to angry outbursts when she’s awake. Her new employer discounts her military experience by telling her she’s not qualified to be a surgical nurse. When she seeks help from the VA, she’s first asked if she’s there on her husband’s behalf – because “there were no women in Vietnam” – and when she finally sees a VA psychologist, he asks her if she’s currently menstruating. Oof!!

Frankie is in a downward spiral. She drinks too much and begins to rely on pills to make her sleep and wake her up. She almost marries a man she doesn’t love, almost kills a man while driving drunk. She can’t hold down a job. And things hit rock bottom when her dad fishes her out of the ocean after a drug-induced hallucination. Fortunately, she has the strength and support she needs to crawl back out of the hole.

The Vietnam Women’s Memorial in Washington DC was dedicated in November 1993.

I have nothing but good things to say about The Women, especially because I’m a female Army veteran who is grateful to other women veterans, like the character of Frankie, who paved the way for me and other female military vets. The book revealed something new to me about women Vietnam vets: the fact that no one thought there were women in the war. How frustrating that must have been!

I’ve known about how poorly Vietnam vets were treated when they returned to the US. Some people signed up because they thought there was honor in serving their country. But they didn’t come home to a WW II-type hero’s welcome. Instead, they were vilified. The author skillfully captured the surprise and bewilderment that caused in Frankie, and it was easy to extrapolate this reaction to the entire population of returning vets. It’s a shameful stain on American society, although we seem to have learned from that moment.

I also think that Kristin Ashley did an admirable job portraying the causes and effects of PTSD, which was just emerging at the time as a psychological disorder. I have no idea why it took the medical establishment so long to recognize (or admit?) that being in a war can cause long-term mental health issues, but I’m glad we recognize it now and are treating it. Still, the suicide rate among veterans is much too high.

The author also captured the strong bond that can be formed among military members. Although we didn’t experience combat, the friendships I formed with my fellow Army officers are like no others.

The Women even has a couple of surprising plot twists, and the narration in the audio book version is terrific! The reader, Julia Whelan, has a clear, resonant voice that’s easy to understand, even when she’s speaking softly at times as Frankie’s character. (You know you’re getting old when one of the criteria for liking a reader is “I could hear her!”)

I enthusiastically recommend The Women! However, it receives two tears out of five on the cry-o-meter. It’s definitely not light reading. And I hope someone turns it into a short TV series.

Have you read The Women? Let me know what you think.

Check out my review of another Kristin Hannah book, The Great Alone.

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